Nobody knows who fired the first shot. Hell, nobody even knows the day it was fired anymore. All we know is, by the time the fighting died down, there wasn't much left of this little world of ours. Our cities were reduced to ruins, our forests and farms choked under a cloud of dust, and as for our species? Best guess is, out of every ten of us alive before the war, one made it through the fires. If they were lucky, they managed to escape the starvation, the fallout, the poison water, the disease, and the chaos after. Near as we can figure, though, there wasn't a lot of luck left to go around.

We survived, though. As good as we were at killing each other, we weren't quite good enough to make it stick. In some shape or another, we managed to pull through, and we've been doing our best to pick up the pieces ever since. We scavenge what we can find, repair what we can fix, and eke out the best living we can from what our forefathers left us. Old towns, ruined shopping centers, towers which haven't quite fallen down yet - we've taken anything large enough to house more than a couple of families, and called it a town. We farm and we scavenge, we build walls to keep out the Wastes, and all the things we know are living out there now, and we live on.

Some people, though, aren't satisfied with that. Whether it's the call of adventure that drives them, or just the call of profit, they don't cling together with the rest of us. They travel from town to town, or even delve into the ruins around us, looking for the next opportunity. Heard that it's a good way to make a living, if you know what you're doing. Personally, I wish them all the luck they can handle. Whatever they find, I hope it's worth dying for.

=======================================================

Wasted Opportunities is about travelers in a post-apocalyptic world - traders, explorers, scavengers, and adventurers, looking to find their fortunes in the ruins of the old world, and the beginnings of a new one. It's not a game about larger-than-life heroics - that's a quick way to a shallow grave. It's mainly about interaction with the world around you, with all the dangers and opportunities that it poses.

The world itself is not our world, although it's similar in many ways. Most of the same flora and fauna are present, humans are still the same as we know them, and we may not recognize the flags or banners of the old world, but we would've been able to understand their motivations pretty well. One key difference, though, is that this world managed to get further than ours before the fire began. Although technology we'd recognize as "modern" was still widespread, the cutting edge was beyond anything we have now. Artificial intelligence, service robots, projected energy weaponry, and possibly even stranger things could be found in the pre-war world, and some of those might even still be around if you sift through the ashes long enough.

The world afterwards, on the other hand? That's a far different story. It's been a long time since the end, and time has not been kind to the relics of humanity. Harsh environmental conditions, with minimal human maintenance, has led to even former metropolises being rendered into nothing but the occasional tombstone. Meanwhile, the rest of life has evolved and changed, with a hand from the very radiation that originally ended it. Though most of the plant life died in the ash storm that followed the flames, a lot of them have started to grow back. Pines, vines, and other hardy specimens are doing especially well, and some of the less-hardy species have been mutated into a form where they can survive. Some even are capable of growing without sunlight, feasting on the high-energy radiation present around them instead. Others, it's rumored, may feed on even less savory things. Animals, too, have evolved over the years, growing tougher, meaner, and more able to survive. In some cases, they may not even be recognizable as the animals they once were - twisted in form, with hard, bony carapaces and dagger-like claws and teeth. In high-radiation areas, some have even transferred genes to each other through unknown means, leading to creatures like Rollers, Tusks, Runners, and Shaggies living alongside what we'd consider normal. There are monsters too, now - things that people tell stories of in the night, hoping never to find out if the stories are true. As for the human race?

Well, that's where we come to your part.

=======================================================

Like SSS before me, I've chosen to use the Diaspora system to create a world for you all to interact in. Right now, we're starting with a blank state - just an empty patch of nothing in the middle of a ruined world. It's your job to fill that emptiness in, by helping me create regions to populate the world with. Regions are intentionally left as size-nebulous, but are intended to be rather large - a city-state, a group of towns and their surrounding countryside, a wide geographic feature like a desert or a mountain rage, and so on. Each will be created by one of my potential players, and will serve as your audition for a chance to create a character.

The rules are simple: Once you post your interest in this thread, along with a color of your choice (humor me), I'll give you a set of three numbers ranging from +4 to -4. You, in turn, will then get to assign these numbers to three characteristics - Environment, Supplies, and Technology - in whatever order you choose. Environment describes how easy it is for people to survive in this area based on non-human factors - animals, radiation, environmental conditions, or other things that I leave in your capable hands. Supplies describes the ability for people in this region to support their lives, the amount of goods left over from before the end, and how conducive this region is to the production of new goods. Finally, Technology describes how much Old World technology was left in the region - was it completely wiped away, does some infrastructure remain, or was it even a former secret outpost with cutting edge pre-war technology? Finally, you will create two Aspects that describe the region. They can either be an elaboration on what of your numbers means, or something entirely different - it's up to you. They should be flavorful, and more than just one or two words - think of a short phrase which describes what you've made. As for what those numbers mean? Well, see below:

====================ENVIRONMENT====================

4: Pristine. Through some miracle, this region has escaped the war untouched. All radiation has dissipated, the environment is comfortable, and nothing dangerous has made its home here.

3: Intact. Though clearly affected by war, this region has retained much of the security a pre-war world offered. Radiation is minimal, and while there are occasional pests, there's nothing dangerous.

2: Safe. Most people who live here live their entire lives without any real danger. There are no active radiation sources in the region, and the environment poses minimal dangers.

1: Benign. The best most people can hope for. Radiation is mild, and while there are occasional hazards, they're nothing the average person can't deal with.

0: Survivable. Like most of the world, it's not perfect, but it's not that bad. There may be pockets of radiation, occasional predators, or other environmental hazards, but they're scattered, and it's usually possible to remain safe in this region without too much difficulty... from the environment, at least.

-1: Hazardous. You can live here, but you might not want to. Whether it's due to a constant low-level radiation, a thriving predator population, the occasional pre-war robot, or just miserable living conditions, life will always be a struggle.

-2: Danger. While it's possible for humans to live in this region, survival is difficult. Any settlements are likely to be temporary, small, or heavily-armed.

-3: Extreme Danger. Humans can survive here short-term, but forming permanent settlement is nigh-impossible. Radiation and monsters may be omnipresent, or there may be something even worse in this region's borders.

-4: Uninhabitable by Humans. Even setting foot in this region is suicidal without protection. You won't make it out, and you probably won't even make it that far in.

====================RESOURCES====================

4: Rich. This region is packed with resources - food, water, tools, scrap, ammunition, even artwork and luxury goods. Even wide-scale scavenging won't put a dent in what's available here. It is either under constant siege, or has the means to protect itself.

3: Abundant. This region has far more resources than it needs of basically every type, and may be capable of producing more. It never needs to worry about shortages, and can trade the excess for luxuries or technology.

2: Significant. This region has sufficient food, water, and other goods to support itself, as well as making regular trades without depleting stockpiles necessary to avoid shortages or over-scavenging.

1: Sufficient. Without any severe deficiencies, this region is capable of trading for what it does need without much risk. There will be occasional shortages of food, water, or other goods, but they will be far and few between.

0: Adequate. While the supplies in this region are certainly not enough to live comfortably, they are generally sufficient to trade for everything important. There are occasional shortages, but the resources here can support its population without much risk.

-1: Deficient. This region usually has enough to support life, but shortages are frequent, and are a constant fact of life. Trade will usually be necessary, and scavenging will be constant.

-2: Impoverished. Either due to severe shortages, or the complete absence of some vital staple such as food, water, or scrap, this region is entirely dependent on its neighbors for survival. Without trade, it must either invade its neighbors for their own resources, or will quickly die out.

-3: Destitute. Minimal resources are available to scavenge or use in this region, and several staples of life simply cannot be found. Conflict is constant, either internally or externally.

-4: Bereft. This region has no resources whatsoever. Anything which could have been scavenged has been picked clean, and nothing exists to support life, human or otherwise.

====================TECHNOLOGY====================

4: Ascendant. Beyond the heights of pre-war technology. Either this region contained a research center where the most cutting-edge technology was resourced, or is home to something that kept working long after the end.

3: Pre-War. The pre-war infrastructure is completely preserved in its fullness. If it was available before the bombs, it may be available in this region.

2: Futuristic. Although the infrastructure has been damaged, some legacies of our ancestors remain. Robots, energy weapons, and other rare items may be present and available for a price... or exist as threats to the region, or those who enter it.

1: Modern. The infrastructure is mostly still intact, and many less-advanced pieces of technology are common in this region. Complex electronics abound, but firearms are favored over energy weapons.

0: War-Torn. Like most regions, the infrastructure has been heavily damaged by the war, and has not been repaired. Some simple electronics have survived, but you're unlikely to find running water or electricity.

-1: Industrial. The war was harder than most on this region. No infrastructure to speak of remains, nor do any electronics. Mechanical devices may be present, but will likely be in poor repair.

-2: Pre-Industrial. Due to the devastation in this region, almost nothing pre-war remains. There may be some simple machines and tools, but most of what's available will be scavenged or repurposed.

-3: Primitive. Near-total annihilation of all technology. Tools are cobbled together from whatever's available, but the art of repairing metal has been lost. Societies will likely be tribal, and will use muscle-powered weapons.

-4: Stone Age. No technology exists whatsoever. If humans are present, they will be savage creatures, recognizable in form but not mind.

=======================================================

Once you've created the regions, I'll create my own, and randomly determine how they are connected - which ones are adjacent, which ones are further away, which are central and which are on the edges. Once I've determined this, you each create one final aspect, which should reflect its place in the world. After that, I'll open up character creation, and we can get ready to get this game on the move.

Today is Monday the 23rd. I'm going to create a soft deadline of Friday the 27th to announce your interest in the game - I'm not going to hold you to it, but I'd prefer it if you let me know you're in before Saturday's Sluggy is posted. There will, however, be a hard deadline of Friday the 4th for regions - if you don't get it in by Sluggy on the 5th, you're out of the running. I'll do my best to create the region chart by Monday, and give you all a chance to come up with your final aspects; after that, I'm posting the character creation thread.

Once composed of numerous disparate groups of survivors and outcasts, the three tribes of the Silicate Vale came into being over the course of the past century through blood, sweat, and mutual struggle. Having settled in an area rich in wondrous technologies and salvageable components, the three tribes are near constantly at war with each other over control of the rights to the labs, factories, and research facilities that once stood proud in a glorious prewar era. These three tribes are the Bhaator, the Velator, and the Bhaalgorn. Utilizing tech that they've salvaged from the ruins of the city, the three tribes have fought bloody battles and waged terrible conquest against one another on an almost daily basis for as long as anyone can remember. A rather tenuous truce is in place at the moment between the three, but this could change at any time for any reason.

The Bhaator reside in the north end of the valley. The foremost producers and users of advanced energy weapons in the Silicate Vale, they fight in coordinated squads unleashing plasma death on all who oppose them. The Velator reside on the southern end of the valley. They use a sophisticated network of sentry turrets powered by large solar collection arrays and their squads bring portable sentry turrets to the battlefield for support when fighting. Finally, the Bhaalgorn call home to the western edge of the valley. Charging into battle with their high tech power armor protecting them, Bhaalgorn soldiers can take an almost unheard of amount of damage and abuse before falling.

The Bhaator, the Velator, and the Bhaalgorn reside on the outskirts of the city in the suburban and rural areas closer to the foot of the mountains. Here, the Silicate Vale is more hospitable to human life. The closer you get to the center of the valley, the greater the urban density increases until you enter the city proper. The ancient city of the Silicate Vale houses all of the good salvage locations but it, more than any other location within the Silicate Vale, is fraught with peril. Pockets of intense radiation. Old technology still active and guarding secrets long lost to the irradiated winds. Carnivorous plants that devour anything organic that draws near. These are but some of the dangers that face any who dare approach the center of the Silicate Vale in search of fortune, but the three tribes consider such ventures gloriously worth it in their ongoing feuds and hostilities.

The Silicate Vale is surrounded on all sides by mountains with only the eastern road leading an easy path in and out. Just about the only thing the three tribes agree on is the mutual resentment of outsiders, and travelers passing through the mountains into the Silicate Vale are sometimes met with greater hostility than the tribes show each other, though trade caravans are sometimes given a pass and treated as neutral third parties if they are able to gain the respect of the locals.

[Aspects]The Great Technological War for Silicate ValeRural Safety; Urban Suicide

Environment: +1: Benign. Little to no radiation is present; and the surrounding mountains keep out the worst of the dangerous fauna.

Resources: -4: Bereft: The area is a dust bowl. The thirsty, porous ground drains away any water spilled on it, and contains enough heavy metal contamination to prevent any plants from growing. Those objects that are in here have (almost all) been claimed by someone; and everyone in here protects their possessions fiercely.

Technology: -1: Industrial: The local leader, Ronaldo, is rumoured to have in his possession a working laser rifle. (Rumours are divided on whether or not he has a working battery to put in it). If these rumours are true, then that would be the pinnacle of (working) local technology. Most of the small group of people who live in here are armed with little more than guns and swords. Some of them have horses, which are very difficult to keep fed. (Ronaldo, as a sign of ostentatious wealth, owns two horses).

Aspects:Bandit HeadquartersHidden Entrances

--------------

The Hidden Valley is a rocky valley, surrounded almost entirely by mountains. There are few easy paths into and out of the valley; those that exist are well hidden, and often guarded. Despite the size of the Valley (about the size of a small city), the population is very small; it is estimated that no more than around seventy people live in it at any one time.

The reason for this is simple. Nothing grows here. Even the hardiest of fungi cannot survive the heavy metals impregnating the soil. The Valley is rather a maze of rock formations and dust, easy to get lost in. If you don't mind dying of hunger or thirst, though, it's not all that bad; there's no radiation to speak of, and anything dangerous enough to pose a severe threat would starve here, too.

So, of course, there are a few people who live here. Organised into a loose band of brigands under a charismatic leader by the name of Ronaldo, the inhabitants of the Hidden Valley survive by conducting raids into neighbouring areas, generally rushing in for just about long enough to grab a lot of food and/or water and/or bullets and promptly rushing back out again.

Though these raiding parties won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way (generally by means of guns and swords) they do not, in general, go out of their way to kill their neighbours. Nor do they burn down their neighbours' buildings; they do, after all, want their neighbours to have more food to steal next time around.

They have very poor relations with all their neighbours; no-one seems to appreciate this level of restraint at all.

They are generally unwelcoming to newcomers, but will not (usually) start a fight with someone who wants to join. They will, however, refuse to share food and water until such a time as the newcomer has earned their respect (usually by joining in on one or more raids, and pulling his/her weight). Any newcomer who does not earn their respect either leaves, starves, or starts (and loses) a fight in fairly short order.

The bandit society is somewhat meritocratic; anyone who's been accepted into the group is treated more-or-less equally. Ronaldo is the undisputed leader (mainly because he will beat up anyone who disputes it; he's a better fighter than he looks, and he cheats unashamedly) and he looks after his people. All he asks in return is the lion's share of any food and water (the man has two horses and three wives to feed, after all - and the horses get priority) and unquestioning obedience. He's flexible, and open to new ideas, but keeps what works; keeping the entrances to the Valley hidden has worked very well, so he keeps them hidden as far as he can, taking steps to ensure that there are no marked paths to the entrances, and stationing snipers whenever he sends out a raiding party to ensure that the raiding party are not followed.

While most raiders have guns, and have some idea of how to use them, they are by and large reluctant to do so without good reason; while guns are common, bullets are very hard to come by.

The bandits generally live in a small village, consisting entirely of lightly furnished tents, which they move regularly, usually setting up fairly close to whichever entrance they intend to raid from next. In an emergency (such as receiving news that some of those Bhaator guys from Silicate Valley have found a way into the Valley), the entire village can be packed up and ready to move within an hour.

Villa Lau, or The Farmer’s Market as is commonly known, is a fairly small town on its own. It has a few shops, several homes, a thriving bar, and a fairly placid environment. The weather is fair, with only the occasional acid rain, or horrible dust storm, the people friendly, and even raider attacks don’t come that often. They’ve even managed to placate a few of the wild mutated beasts that inhabit the nearby grasslands. They don’t have much in the way of technology, only barely lashing together some working electricity that often isn’t used, but it doesn’t matter because what Villa Lau is really known for is the reasoning behind its nickname. The town is home to a very large, very bustling, and very profitable farmer’s market, being a central location between six major farms, each producing their own specialty crop, and a few other small farms whose business is meager, but profitable enough. It’s one of the few places in the wasteland where food harvested in the olden days can be eaten once more. The major farms, and subsequently notable crops are: the apples produced at Pippin Orchards; the corn produced by the Zea Familia; the potatoes grown by the Sunberry Group; the wheat produced by Thrash and his boys; the grapes produced by Claire Fields; and a slightly questionable mish-mash of fruits and vegetables grown by the eccentric Gregorio Strampelli. Farm animals are managed by the Contenu Collective, a small breeder organization that occasionally sells meats in the market when an animal has reached the end of its usefulness. They try not to as they are perfectly aware that the meat is irradiated, as is everyone else, but sometimes there’s just no sense in wasting a two-headed cow, and some people really love their red meat.

What is notable is that, despite the plethora of food, and the fairly widespread reputation, the town is not often attacked by raiders, and the farms themselves never report any major losses due to bandit raids. The owners are all nice, if a bit strange, and quite friendly to strangers, provided they aren’t showing any signs of hostility to the crops. There are lots of rumors about the farms, or the families running them, but they are few and far between. So long as they get their food, who cares what the freaks running the place do. The wasteland is hard enough worrying about yourself, let alone a bunch of people you don’t know.

[Aspects:A Friendly Desert Community, Where the Sun is Hot, the Moon is Beautiful, and the Crops are Plentiful;Barter-lands;]

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